Garbage Day
by Stoked-55
Summary: My first fic (please be nice!) N/S


Midnight rain fell steadily from the dark Nevada sky, washing the streets of Las Vegas. Nevertheless the strip was crowded with people: tourists huddled under umbrellas, gawking at the city lights; vagrants begging for spare change and trying to find any shelter they could; locals making their way in search of a good time. But this seemingly harmless set was as false as the hopes of the gamblers who were positive that the next pull or the next hand would be the one. The seamy underbelly of the city of sin lay just under the disillusion of its neon surface and more often than not it would rear its ugly head at some point during the night. Sex and scandal, drugs, shady dealings, debts unpaid and murder were not uncommon in Vegas. Tonight was no exception.  
  
Sara Sidle, Warrick Brown and Nick Stokes were already hard at work on the latest crime scene Clarke County had to offer. In an alley blocked off by yellow tape, the unrelenting press and rubbernecking onlookers held at bay by the LVPD, they did their best to recover all the evidence they could in the downpour. They had what appeared to have been a drug deal gone bad, the result of which was the shooting death of three people. The victims had already been hauled away by the coroner and the trio was left behind to decipher what had gone down.  
  
"Man, what are we even still doing out here?" Warrick asked no one in particular from his stooped position near the gutter. "Rain would have washed everything away by now, surely."  
  
"Hey, you never know," Nick replied with his typical optimism. "You could get lucky." Flashlight in hand he was carefully scanning the ground at the base one of the buildings with his sharp eyes. "And don't call me Shirley."  
  
"I'm not the one that needs to get lucky," Warrick muttered wiping water droplets off his forehead with the back of his hand. A small grin touched his lips when Nick glared at him with squinty eyes.  
  
"I heard that!" Nick flashed his light in Warrick's eyes. "You directing that at me, Mr. Brown?" He dodged the empty Coke can that came flying at his head.  
  
"Boys. Knock it off, we've got work to do," Sara scolded grumpily from behind the dumpster. "I for one am cold and wet and want to get the hell out of here as soon as possible so please, focus."  
  
Nick and Warrick mock pouted at her and got back to work.  
  
"Aha!" Nick cried out a moment later. "We've got ourselves a bullet!" Sara and Warrick both came over to where he was standing at the wall. Carefully he dug the bullet embedded at eye level out of the brick and held it up in his gloved palm for them to see. "Looks like it could be a nine millimeter."  
  
"Nice work," Sara complimented. She held up a bindle for Nick to drop the slug into and gave him a smile. His dark eyes met hers and he smiled back sending a small sizzle of heat through her despite the chill. His dark LVPD windbreaker was clinging wetly to his torso in a very nice way that she greatly appreciated.  
  
"Thanks Sar," he drawled back still holding her gaze from under the dripping brim of his cap. Her gap-toothed grin made his heart skip a beat or two.  
  
Warrick, forgotten, looked back and forth between the two of them and rolled his eyes. They were both so obvious to everyone else and yet so oblivious to each other it was waxing pathetic. He turned to inspect the dumpster.  
  
"Hey have either of you checked in the dumpster yet?" he asked lifting the lid with a bang and instantly regretting it. "Phew! That is foul."  
  
Their attention pulled back to their duty at hand, Nick and Sara went over to peek in the large metal garbage bin. The stench made them both recoil.  
  
"Aw, man," Nick protested grimacing. "This must be the restaurant's bin. Full of rotten food."  
  
"Well, maybe we don't need to check it," Sara tried to reason her hand under her nose. "I mean the lid was closed."  
  
"Well one of our vics was found propped against it," Nick said, trying to breath only through his mouth. "His weight may have pushed it backwards and therefore forced the lid to fall closed." Sara scowled at him.  
  
"Exactly. Nice try Sara," Warrick said. "We've got a missing murder weapon and what looks like fresh ricochet marks on the underside of this lid." He indicated two small shiny dents in the metal with his penlight. "I'm guessing there are probably a couple bullets and a dumped gun in here. Someone has to check it out."  
  
The three CSIs eyed each other.  
  
"Don't look at me!" Nick held his hands up. "I found the bullet remember?"  
  
"Ladies first?" Warrick tried, hunching his shoulders against the rain.  
  
"No way!" Sara exclaimed. "Why can't you do it? It's your bright idea."  
  
"You're smaller than me, you'll fit better," Warrick rambled. "We can boost you in"  
  
"That was pretty lame man," Nick piped up, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "You're lucky Grissom didn't hear that." Warrick shot him a warning look.  
  
"Nick's smaller than you are too, why can't he do it?" Sara continued.  
  
"Good question." They both turned to look at Nick.  
  
"Hey, I thought we already established that I wasn't going in. I found the bullet!"  
  
"So what?!" Sara and Warrick demanded simultaneously.  
  
The three continued to argue until someone's phone began to ring. They all eagerly scrambled for their cell phones. Nick and Sara both swore while Warrick laughed triumphantly.  
  
"Brown," he answered grinning at his colleagues. "Oh, Catherine I have never been so glad to hear your voice." He paused listening for a moment then a big sly smile crossed his face. "You need me back at the lab? Right away?"  
  
"I hate him," Sara stated jamming her fists in her pockets. Nick snorted.  
  
"Oh no it's no problem. I'm sure Sara and Nick can handle this. I'll be right there." He snapped his phone shut, looking like the Cheshire cat. "It seems my services are needed elsewhere. I'll see you guys back at the nice warm clean dry lab later." He saluted them and then sauntered off to his Tahoe still laughing a little.  
  
"I really hate him." Sara sighed and turned to look at Nick. Well, maybe being caught out in the rain with him alone would turn out not to be so bad after all. "Well it's just you and me. Who's gonna do it?"  
  
He held up a finger and dug loose change out of the pocket of his wet jeans, fishing out a quarter. "Call it. Heads or tails?"  
  
"Heads," she said as he flipped the coin in the air with his thumb. He caught it deftly and slapped it on the back of his left hand. Slowly he lifted his hand to reveal the face of the quarter.  
  
"It's, uh, tails," he said trying his best not to smile.  
  
"Figures," she muttered thinking her ideas for a potential flirt-filled evening were now a total loss. By the time she was through he wouldn't want to touch her with a forty-foot pole. "Okay, gimme a boost," she said resonantly, motioning with her hands for him to come over to her. "Let's get this over with."  
  
"Look, Sara, if you want I'll jump in," Nick offered. He knew it was a lame attempt at chivalry, but hey, if it got him in her good books it was worth a shot.  
  
"No way," Sara replied, shaking her head stubbornly. "That's sweet Nick but forget it. You won the toss fair and square. Now get over here and boost me."  
  
Trying very hard not to find a double meaning for what she had just said, Nick linked his hands together for her to step onto, let her brace her hands on his shoulders and easily helped lift her up.  
  
"Besides," she added, swinging her long legs over the side and smiling widely. "You found the bullet."  
  
"Are you mocking me Sidle?" he demanded chuckling and crossed his arms over his chest.  
  
"No!" She lowered herself into the bin. "I'm flirting with you," she tossed over her shoulder. Whoops, where did that come from?  
  
Nearly as surprised as she was his eyebrow arched and he caught her glance for a moment then smiled. "Be careful in there," he cautioned, giving her a crooked grin.  
  
"I will, thanks. Tell me something," Sara inquired, and paused momentarily, trying not to gag as she began sifting through the wet garbage. "Why is it almost every time I'm on a case with you we end up working with something stinky and smelling really, really bad?"  
  
Nick laughed and held his flashlight up so she could see a bit better. "I don't know I'll look into it. What I'd like know is how we end up outside on the one night in a blue moon that it actually rains in Vegas. And furthermore why Cath and Griss get to stay inside."  
  
"Excellent point," came her muffled reply. "Jesus it reeks in here!" She poked her head up, a carrot peel stuck in her hair. "There's too much crap in my way, I can't see a thing. I'm going to have to hand you some of it."  
  
Nick frowned and scrunched his nose up but knew better than to protest. He wasn't the one in the dumpster after all and he did feel kind of bad making her go in. The poor woman looked absolutely miserable. He would just have to make it up to her. A smile crossed his lips at that thought as he grabbed the bags that Sara started passing him.  
  
About an hour or so later, Nick and Sara trudged into the crime lab. They were both water logged, filthy and miserable, but at least they had found what they were looking for. Well some of what they were looking for. The gun hadn't been there but they had found two more bullets, neither of which appeared to match the caliber of the first one Nick found in the brick wall. If that proved to be the case then they would know they had two gunmen to find.  
  
"God dammit," Sara swore when she had found the first slug. Nick, curious, had looked up and she showed him the tiny but deadly piece of metal.  
  
"Isn't that a good thing?" he asked, brow furrowed in confusion at her reaction.  
  
"Yeah it's great for the case," she said, looking at the object in her hands and turning it over. "But it means I have to admit Warrick was right."  
  
He laughed out loud and went back to sorting through the garbage from one of the bags. He had discovered a small hole in it when it had leaked all over him, causing him to curse like a sailor. However he had then noticed that the hole appeared to have been melted through. Nick guessed, and as it turned out, correctly, that the bullet was most likely still hot when it had landed on the plastic. The downside to this discovery was having to go through rotten lettuce, moldy hamburger meat, and only God knew what else to find it. Needless to say he hadn't faired much better than Sara had in the stink department.  
  
They headed down the hallway to Bobby Dawson in ballistics.  
  
"Hi Nick, Sara," Bobby greeted cheerfully, looking up from his microscope. "Boy, y'all look like a couple of drowned rats." He got up and went over to them then caught a whiff and stumbled back a few steps. "Oh my God!" He shielded his mouth and nose with his lab coat. "What the hell just crawled in here and died?"  
  
"Our egos," Nick stated simply and tossed their evidence on Bobby's counter.  
  
"And social lives," Sara added matter-of-factly. They left without further explanation, leaving Bobby puzzled and wishing for air freshener.  
  
The pair continued down the hallway, making a beeline for the locker room. Before they could reach it Warrick, Catherine and Grissom rounded the corner.  
  
"Whoa!" Warrick exclaimed, waving the air in front of his face. "Didn't your mothers ever tell you not to play in the trash?" He laughed gleefully at the looks he received; if they could kill he would have been twice dead. Nick grabbed Sara's elbow to keep her from scratching Warrick's eyes out.  
  
"Did you guys find anything else?" Catherine asked. She brought the folder in her hand up to her nose trying to seem casual and caught an evil eye from Sara.  
  
"Yes, lucky for you," Nick pointed at Warrick. "If we had had to go through that garbage for nothing I would not have been held accountable for my actions. Or hers," he added, smiling at the still glowering Sara, making her smile a little in return. His hand was still on her arm.  
  
"Good work you two," Grissom told them, doing his absolute best to keep a polite expression on his face and almost succeeding. "Let me know when you make anymore progress."  
  
Warrick just chuckled as he, Catherine and Grissom quickly continued on their way. "Have fun in the shower guys," he called over his shoulder, laughing again when Catherine smacked him with the folder.  
  
Nick and Sara's eyes widened and they studiously avoided each other's gaze. Sara blushed furiously and Nick felt his ears start to burn. He quickly dropped his hand off her arm and followed as she pushed through the door into the locker room. They both went to their respective lockers. Sara shrugged out of her soaked through jacket as she went and thanked her lucky stars that she had decided against wearing a white shirt today opting for the black one instead.  
  
"Dammit," she muttered, still feeling embarrassed by Warrick's comment. Now permanent mental images of Nick wearing only a white cotton towel, water dripping from his tanned and well muscled body, burned on her brain. It wouldn't have been such a bad thing if he hadn't been standing right beside her.  
  
"What's wrong?" Nick asked a little hoarsely, taking off his cap and putting it on the top shelf of his locker. He cleared his throat and tried desperately to picture anything besides Sara in the shower. Football, cars, bats, Grissom's tarantula, Miss Piggy the pig fetus.ew.  
  
"Oh, nothing," Sara mumbled, shaking her head with a slight pout that was quite endearing to him. "My fingers are so damn numb I can hardly turn the dial on my lock. Latex gloves do not provide nearly enough insulation against the cold." She started rubbing them together vigorously to restore circulation.  
  
He smiled sympathetically and peeled off his windbreaker tossing it on the bench, the grey cotton shirt he was wearing underneath darker in the spots where the rain had penetrated his jacket.  
  
"C'mere," he said and took her hands in his larger ones, rubbing them gently. She experienced a deer-caught-in-headlights moment, just staring at him.  
  
"Wow, they are really cold," Nick said quietly, his fingers stroking her soft skin. He was a little nervous now that he realized what he was doing. Oh, what the hell, he figured. He cupped her hands between his and brought them up to his mouth, exhaling his hot breath on them, his eyes turning up to lock on hers. Sara actually felt her brain short-circuit.  
  
"That better?" he asked, his voice gravelly, still slowly rubbing her hands. As her hair began to dry her natural curl created loose ringlets in the pieces that had fallen from her messy bun and they framed her face. In his eyes, she looked like an angel.  
  
Sara blinked a few times and nodded, tearing her eyes from his intense gaze. When he did that she felt so exposed, like he could see right inside her. "Uh, yeah," she managed. "Thanks."  
  
She went to move away, but he didn't let her go. Her eyes flew back to his, searching their dark, warm depths. He licked his lips quickly drawing her gaze to his moist lips and she noticed his adam's apple bob in his throat as he swallowed. Slowly he leaned down towards her and she stood frozen as his parted mouth neared hers. Nick's breath caught in his throat, he could almost feel her lips on his.  
  
"Don't," she whispered, her eyes still closed and he froze. His clouded brain registered what she had said and his heart sank in his chest. His eyes opened and he immediately pulled away without question. Don't? What the hell are you doing, her mind screamed.  
  
"Sorry," he muttered thickly and released her hands. Sara instantly missed his warmth. He dropped his head, eyes locked on the floor and backed away. "I'm sorry, Sara."  
  
"No, Nick wait." Sara closed the distance between them and put her hand on his forearm. He looked at it then at her questioningly. "I mean that's not what I meant. It's just." She exhaled sharply, puffing her cheeks out and blowing a strand of hair off her face.  
  
"What then?" Nick pressed crossing his arms and shrugging, brow furrowed.  
  
She hesitated and wrung her hands together. "I smell," she finally said glumly, looking down at the floor. She remembered how her.'odor' had earned his teasing on their case with the liquid body and how self- conscious that had made her. Peeking back up at him hesitantly she was feeling that way again.  
  
His eyebrows jumped up in disbelief. As if something like that could deter him from the one thing he wanted most. He smirked and then the full one hundred watt smile that made her knees weak and her insides turn to goo broke out on his handsome face. He laughed and shook his head.  
  
"What?" she demanded, hands on her hips. "What?"  
  
"Nothing," he said still grinning, looking at her in amazement. "Just you Sara Sidle." He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on the side of her face. He leaned into her and spoke softly, voice barely above a whisper. "In case you hadn't noticed, I smell too."  
  
His warm tickling breath on her ear sent a small shudder up her spine. He pulled back just slightly so she could see the small charming smirk on his lips. Oh, those lips.  
  
"And besides," he continued, bringing his face to hers, his soft drawl and the low husky timbre of his voice making her shiver. "That's what showers and lemons are for." Oh boy.  
  
"But." Her weak and half-hearted protest was cut off when his mouth pressed tenderly against hers and she was lost. Electricity seemed to flow pleasantly through both of them, warming their chilled bodies. They slowly pulled apart and looked at each other in wonder.  
  
"Whoa," Nick croaked a bit shakily. He had never felt like that after such a chaste kiss before. If that had this effect on him he wondered what other things she had the power to do. He gulped down a whimper that wanted to climb out his throat.  
  
"Yeah," Sara agreed her voice breathy. She wanted more. Moving closer to him, she touched the side of his face, fingers lightly stroking his sideburn. He'd let them grow longer lately and she kind of liked it. They made him look younger and a little less clean cut, a bit more rugged. Mmm, rugged. Her fingers trailed down his strong jaw and lightly traced his mouth.  
  
Her hand slipped to the back of his neck, lightly scratching the ends of his hair which, she noted happily, caused him to shudder a bit, and her other hand rested on his muscled chest over his heart feeling its strong, steady beat. Garbage smell be damned, she thought and pulled his face down for another kiss, this one deeper, more passionate than the first. His hands went to her hips, then wrapped around her waist, pulling her against his firm body.  
  
She teased him a bit at first, tempting him, nearly driving him wild, then running the tip of her tongue along his lips she invited him to explore her mouth. She marveled at how gentle he was with her, yet completely thorough leaving no part of her mouth untasted. The man knew how to kiss. In fact she was quickly becoming absolutely certain it was the best kiss she had ever had.  
  
Nick couldn't believe how soft and supple her lips were and how wonderful she tasted as her tongue slowly and seductively danced with his. Gently and without breaking their kiss he turned them so her back was against the row of lockers and pressed against her. Judging from her content hum that he could both feel and hear she didn't seem to mind and he grunted softly in response. He tilted his head to gain better access to her mouth and felt her hand slide into his hair holding his head to hers. Not that he was going anywhere anyway.  
  
Eventually they were forced to pull apart, both of them cursing their need for oxygen. Nick gave her one more brief kiss, his lips clinging to hers for and extra second before she pulled away then he rested his forehead on hers, breathing hard.  
  
"Well, that was. um. new," Sara commented breathlessly, wrapping her arms around his neck.  
  
"Yeah," Nick agreed chuckling. He pressed a kiss on her forehead, his large hands moving up and down her sides. "And long overdue if you ask me." She smiled widely and pressed her lips to his again, unable to get enough. He was more than happy to oblige.  
  
"You know, I could get really used to this," she murmured against his mouth between kisses.  
  
"Yeah?" He felt her lips curve into a smile.  
  
"Oh yeah." She pulled away a bit. "I mean if you-if you wanted-"  
  
"Yeah." He looked her directly in the eye.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"God, yes," Nick whispered and kissed her hard and deep, swallowing her soft moan. Sara was taken by surprise by his new aggressiveness that was still gentle but heated and hungry. It induced a passion of her own and she clutched his broad shoulders, pulling him against her, relishing the weight of his body on hers that trapped her against the locker.  
  
They were gone. Somewhere way in the very back of their minds both of them realized that if they were ever found out not only would they have to endure the wrath of Grissom for making out on company time, but also the endless taunts and teasing from the rest of the crew. However at this point they just couldn't seem to bring themselves to care. The couple was in fact so consumed in each other that they didn't notice the locker room door opening or the person who stepped inside. That is, until the door closed with a thud.  
  
Nick and Sara's heads both snapped in the direction of the noise and their jaws dropped. There stood none other than Greg Sanders. Of all the people to walk in on them, it had to be Greg. Even Grissom himself would have been better. Well, almost.  
  
Greg blinked rapidly then just stared for a moment, trying to be sure of what he was really seeing. Nick Stokes and Sara Sidle in each others arms, cheeks flushed and chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath, both frozen solid and staring at him with wide eyes like little kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar. A devilish smile slowly crept onto his face.  
  
"Oh, you guys are so busted," he said gleefully. With the speed of a mongoose, he darted out of the locker room cackling and howling mad laughter. "Hey everybody! Guess what?! Nicky and Sara, sittin' in a tree."  
  
"GREG!!!" Sara and Nick shouted, finally snapped out of their stupor, leaped over to the door and scrambled after the lab tech.  
  
THE END 


End file.
